Press feed



Aug. 19, 1947. w. D. CHILTON PRESS FEED Filed Sept. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l JNV NToR. VV////0m D. Chi/fan foam mmumu A rroRNErs Aug. 19, 1947. w. D. CHILTON PRESS FEED Filed Sept. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l I l l l l II n R mm m 1% m w M W lllli ATTORNE)? Aug. 19, 1947., w. D. CHILTON PRESS FEED Filed Sept. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. W////am D. Chi/fan ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1947. w. D. CHILTON PRESS FEED Filed Sept. 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Wi/fiam D. Chi/fan Patented Aug. 19, 1947 PRESS FEED William D. Chilton,

General Motors Corporation, corporation of Delaware Memphis, Tenn, assignor to Detroit, Mich, a

Application September 19, 1945, Serial No. 617,234

13 Claims.

This invention relatesto a'work feed for punch presses or similar machines.

It is the object of the invention to provide a measured feed which will automatically move a piece of stock a. measured distance each time the press is operated. It is not broadly new to provide apparatus to do this, but my improvement is adapted to reliably feed strips of sheet metal stock without marring or injuring them and is also adapted to feed the stock its full length to the punch so that the strip does not have to be reversed tofeed all portions to the punch or else be discarded without utilizing the entire stock. The length of the feed may be reliably and easily adjusted.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the push feed.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the push feed.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the pull feed.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. '8 is a section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

W is the work strip. D is a die above which will be a cooperating punch (not shown). The work strip W is moved across the die and under the punch by the push and pull feeds now to be described.

The push feed is an operable device by itself and can be used without the pull feed, but in that case the strip will either have to be reversed or discarded without utilizing the entire length of the strip for the punching operation. It is also possible, of course, to use thepull feed with out the push feed, but with the same disadvantages. When the two are used together no wastage occurs and the full length of the strip can be utilized without feeding it a second time through the press.

The push feed is shown best in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that there are four spring-actuated fingers, the two fingers l at the left are the feed fingers. Referring to Fig. 5,

' it will be seen that these fingers l have each a V-notch 2 at its end which is arranged to straddle the strip stock, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The tractile springs 3 pull these pivoted fingers into tight engagement with the stock. On fingers are little bell crank levers pivoted on the block or head 4 which is secured to the sliding rod 5 which is guided in brackets 6 and I. These brackets are secured to the plate 40. A long tractile spring 8 biases the rod and block '4 to the right. A cabled passes over the sheave 'fO-and the upper end. is fastened-to a spring clasp II which may be easily and'detachably hooked over pin l2 fastened to nut [3 on lever arm M. The nut I3 is adjustable along the lever arm Hi When screw I5 is revolved by turning crank l6 which is fastened eccentrically to disc I? secured to the end-of the screw l5 (see Fig. 3). 'A'ball detent l8 holds the adjustment. The contact member 19 on. the end of the lever arm I4 is arranged to engage a moving part of thepress, such as the upper platen or ram 20. When the'uppenplaten moves upwardly it strikes the contact [9 and moves the lever arm upwardly. This pulls'the cable 9 a definite distance depending uponthe position of the nut i3 on the lever arm. The cable pulls the sliding rod'5 to the left, the feed fingersl grip the edge of the stock and ordinarily will not mar the stock. But if they do scratch or dent it, itis immaterial as this is done to a portion of the stock that is not utilized.

When'the press starts downwardly the tractile spring 8'pulls the'slide, the head l and the'feed fingers back to their initial position. The feed fingers slide along the stock, but the stock is held from being drawn back by means of the check fingers 2| which are pivoted to the'bed-of the machine and drawn against'the edge of the stock by the tractile springs 22. These fingers have the same V-notch on the end to grip the stock.

23 is a bell crank armiastened to the pivoted end of the lever arm M which is adaptedto contact screw 24 which forms an adjustable :stop. This stop can limit the downward travel of the lever'arm 14 so that the feeder can'be entirely inactive at the time the punch contacts :and enters the stock. The precise point of inactivity can be adjusted so as to accord with the :thickness of the stock. The distance of the'feed can obviously be altered by'changing the position of the nut [3 on the lever arm. The farther out on the lever arm the nut is the greater the throw of the nut and the more the cable will-be pulled over the sheave and the greater the travel of the feed fingers and the work strip.

If the push feed is used alone obviously when the end of the stock is reached and the stock passes beyond'the fingers there can be no further feed and so there willb some wastage between the punch and the feed fingers unless the strip is pulled out and reversed and fed through the press again to utilize that portion of the stock that has not passed over the punch. However, I overcome this difiiculty by providing a, pull feed on the other side of the press, This pull feed is quite similar to the push feed. It has fingers 25 that have V-notches 26 (Fig. 7) adapted to grip the work strip W. These are spring pulled into contact with the work by springs 21. A check finger 28 also with a V-notch on the end is pivoted at 29 to a stationary part of the press so that it holds the feed strip from being dragged backwardly when the slides and the feed fingers are on their return stroke. The feed fingers '25 are pivoted to the sliding block 30 which is on the end of a rod 3| which is guided in brackets 32 and 33 and which is pulled towards the right by tractile spring 34. Cable 35 passes over sheave 36. This cable, when it is pulled, pulls the block and slide to the left and feeds the work strip forward by reason of the feed fingers 25 gripping th edge of the work. Cable 35 also passes over sheave 36a and is connected to the slide of the push feed so that when the push feed advances cable 35 is pulled so as at the sam time to pull the sliding rod 3|, the block 30 and the fingers 25 forward to coincidentally pull the strip forward.

The push feed apparatus has a stationary guide plate 31 which can be adjusted for different widths of stock by the groove 38 and the wing screw 39 adjustment. The stationary-finger release bar 44 is free to slide on plate 40 (Fig. 5). The spring-pressed fingers l and 2| keep the stock pressed against the first guide plate 31. The stock may be easily released from the guide plate and fingers by simply pushing in on button 42 which is fastened to shaft 43 which in turn is fastened to the finger release bar 44 slidable on plate 40 (see Fig. 5) to press back the feed fingers.

The pull feed has a stationary guide plate 46 which is adjustable by slots and wing screws 41. This has the forward end funnel shaped as at 48, the opening in this funnel divergng both upwardly and outwardly. 49 is a similarly shaped gathering funnel section which is pivoted at 50 and which is lightly spring pressed at the free end to cause it to bear against the work and push it up against the stationary guide 46. These two gathering funnel sections 48 and 49 guide the work strip into proper relation to the fingers of the pulling unit.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a lever arm arranged to be swung by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the lever arm and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

2. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be moved by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide provided with V-notches for engaging the opposit edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

3. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be moved by amovable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves, one or more check fingers pivoted to a stationary part and arranged to engage the edges of the stock to prevent retrograde movement of the stock and connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

4. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be moved by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

5. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be moved by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more spring-stressed gripping fingers mounted upon the slide provided with vnotches for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

6. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a lever provided with -a nut adjustable therealong and arranged to be swung by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge 01 a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the nut and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

7. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be mOVed by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves, one or more check fingers pivoted to a stationary part and provided with V-notches arranged to engage the edges of the stock to prevent retrograde movement of the stock and connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part.

8. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination slides one on each side of the press tool, guides for strip stock,

fingers on the said slides for gripping the work strip to feed the same along when the slides are moved and means for coordinating the movement of the slides and for automatically causing the slides to move each time the part on the press is moved, the said means comprising cables and sheaves for connecting the slides together and a member arranged to contact a movable part on the press and cause the cable to move therewith. 9. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination slides one on each side of the press tool, guides for strip stock, fingers on the said slides for gripping the work strip to feed the same along when the slides are moved and means for coordinating the movement of the slide and for automatically causing the slides to move each time a part on the press is moved, the said means comprising cables and sheaves for connecting the slides together and a lever for contacting a movable part of the press and connected with the cable to move the cable.

10. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination slides one on each side of the press tool, guides for strip stock, fingers on the said slides for gripping the work strip to feed the same along when the slides are moved and means for coordinating the movement of the slides and for automatically causing the slides to move each time the part on the press is moved, the said means comprising cables and sheaves for connecting the slides together and a lever arranged to contact a movable part of the press to be actuated thereby and having an adjustable connection with the cable to change the point on the lever at which the cable is connected.

11. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a lever arm arranged to be swung by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press, a guide for one edge of a strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted upon the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves and connections between the lever arm and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of the movable press part, the said lever having attached thereto a crank arm and an adjustable stop for contacting the crank arm and lifting the movement of the lever arm in one direction to coordinate the action of the slide with the entry of the punch into the work strip.

12. In an automatic feed for punch presses or the like, a full feed comprising a stationary strip stock guide, a slide coordinated with the press to be operated by the movement of the press and one or more spring-pressed fingers for gripping the edge of the stock to feed the stock forward when the slide moves, the said stationary guide being provided with a gathering funnel section for engaging one side of the stock and a pivoted gathering funnel section for engaging the other side of the stock.

13. An automatic feed for punch presses or the like, having in combination a member arranged to be moved by a movable part of the press, a slide guided toward and away from the punching tool of the press and a transversely movable plate for supporting the guides for one slide, a guide for one edge of the strip of stock, one or more gripping fingers mounted on the slide for engaging the opposite edge of the stock and causing it to bear against the guide and for feeding the stock when the slide moves, connections between the movable member and the slide to automatically move the slide with the movement of a movable press part, yieldable means for pressing the plate that carries the slide toward the stock and guide and means by which the said plate may be manually pressed away from the stock and stock guide to release the fingers from the stock.

WILLIAM D. CHILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,454,841 -Allen May 15, 1923 1,851,845 Kasseberg Mar. 29, 1932 

